


Storm on the Horizon

by HumanSpider286



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Iron Man (Comics), Nova (Comics)
Genre: Anxiety, Confrontations, Gen, Guardian Family, Hurt Nova, Hurt/Comfort, Sam Lost in Space, Searching for Jesse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-09-26 03:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17134076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HumanSpider286/pseuds/HumanSpider286
Summary: Sam’s (Nova) struggle and confliction about his dad leaving/disappearing. His rage, sorrow and confusion making a dangerous combination as he searches the infinite galaxy.





	1. Prologue

The wooden planks creaked as I slid sideways to make room for her. I felt her hand lay on mine and I rest my head on her shoulder. I watched as the wind blew through the sweet citrus air, wavering the clothes strung between the orange trees. An old, red bike slouched against the trunk, the white moss creeping along towards the handlebars. I heard the birds sing and waft in a daze as the sun melted into the far-off hills.  
It was a beautiful day.  
“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” she squeezed my hand.  
“What gives you that idea?” my voice caught by the wind.  
I watched as the clouds, wavered in the breeze. None of us expected this. It was always the same and then, it was over. All in an instant. I didn’t have time to blink, to hesitate, to comprehend the situation. It was simply panic, distortion, like a fever dream that we would wake from. And Dad would be home. Telling his crazy stories of the world beyond our sight.  
“What if this is a dream?” Mum didn’t reply, “This just seems so disturbing; I don’t see why it could be real.”  
She sighed, “Let’s just go inside,”  
“Can we just watch the sunset a little longer,”  
“You’re gonna catch a cold,”  
“It’s spring.”  
“It’s not healthy,”  
“Stop worrying!” I knew as soon as I snapped at her, it was a mistake.  
“Please don’t do this again tonight.” Her voice was quiet this time, pleading.  
I didn’t say anything back, and neither did she. I watched as orange raged into a vibrant red along the hills. Forgetting about the chirping of the birds as they settled into their nests. I watched the sky fade into a dark blue as the sun ducked behind the hills to hide from the moon. I tilted my head upwards and I felt as if a million eyes were watching me in this newly pitch-black existence. The stars stretched between the hills and far behind my head, my vision was filled with works of art older than anyone’s time on Earth. My mind wondered to the stories Dad would tell me that I dismissed as his rants.  
And at that moment I felt small. Very small.  
Mum became restless, the wooden planks creaking around her movement, “A storm’s coming we should head inside,” along the hills rested grey clouds, a tint of blue outlining their figure.  
She flicked the lights on, eliminating the closet trees in a dull yellow tint. I hesitated to follow her inside. My eyes shifting towards Dad’s shed and the fearsome storm. I stepped down and Mums’ sigh made me stop, “Did you say goodnight to your sister?”  
I replied without turning back to her, “Yeah.”  
“Are you going to be careful.”  
“Yes, Mum-”  
“Promise me you’ll think about what you’re doing,” Her voice full of anxiety.  
“I promise.”  
“Say it to my face, Sam!” I could hear her desperation, her doubt, her worry, “I can’t lose both my boys. Your sister needs you right now.” She paused, “I need you.” Her voice trailing off in the wind as the thunder cracked in the distance.  
I closed my eyes and continued with my head hung to the shed.  
“Don’t you walk out on me, Sam!” I could hear a thickness in her voice only made when you’d cry, “Don’t you leave us behind!” She hiccupped, “Don’t you tell me you’ll be back. Your father told me the same thing!”  
I quickly closed the door of the shed on her, leaning my back heavily on the wooden door. Tears threatening to escape my eyes. I could hear her breathing on the other side of the door with quiet whispers of regret and misfortune. Desperate for me to stay, “Please, I can’t do this alone…”  
I turn and place my forehead on the cold door, my hair thick in front of my face, wet from tears. “I’m sorry.” I was sure she didn’t hear me say that or when I moved from the door. I was sure she didn’t see the light of the helmet activating or me leaving through her watery vision.  
As I turned to get one last glance of her as I left, I could see my sister lying in bed, oblivious to it all still curled up from crying herself to sleep without her Dad. “I promise I’ll be back. I’ll bring that dead beat with me.” Thunder cracking deafeningly as I flew past the storm.  
If only I knew then the warning the storm was attempting to convey. I would have stayed.


	2. One Step Back

I expected space to be pitch black when I took my first real long flight away from Earth.  
I wasn’t wrong. There were just miles of this ink black existence between me and everything else. First, it scared me. Then it made me think. Now it’s just boring to watch as I coast by the exponential space.  
I didn’t expect the unparalleled beauty of an unpolluted view of the expanse of stars ahead of me. I remember learning that all the stars we could see from Earth were expiring, dying, fading, mostly already dead. I witness this first hand as I zipped between planets in awe as old stars faded in faint glimmers of regret and new stars burst into existence like a bird rising from the water in a flurry of grace and indignity.  
As I zoomed through the space between Earth and some planet Rocket had told me about I had ample time to think about what I would do once I got there. According to the Guardians, they had heard that my Dad was on the slave trade market.  
“Cause that’s what every 15-year-old needs to hear about their missing Dad.” I told myself, “They’re being sold to the highest ass hole alien for money to be a slave. Super normal teenage things to hear and investigate.” My voice lost in the expanding void around me.  
I sighed, playing the conversation from Rocket once more.  
_“We’ve heard that your dad’s at Valgal.”_ Rocket said, _“Held under what they call the Devil’s Pits. Their fighting arena right in the middle of the city. Valgal’s a pretty fancy place. Plenty of fancy buildings, casinos. Real upmarket.”_ He paused, _“From the outside.”_  
_“So what’s so bad about it?”_ I hear Peter ask somewhere out of the screen.  
_“Huge labyrinth of black market stuff goes on under the Devil’s Pits. Attracts some of the real scum of the galaxy there. You know. Illegal weapons, abnormal animals.”_ He side eyed someone, who I assume was Quill before continuing, _“Slave trade.”_  
I remember floating in dead space for what felt like a solid ten minutes just looking at the darkness ahead of me.  
Peter’s comment, _“I think you broke the kid,”_ slightly broke me out of my trance.  
Gamora yelling, _“You told him!”_ was what really shook me back into the conversation.  
_“I thought he’d take it better!”_ Rocket spat back.  
_“Because shocking things like him meeting us went so well in the past!”_  
I quietly spoke, _“I’ll meet you there.”_ I was met with a Gamora trying to keep me on the line before hanging up.  
She’s called four times since. But I wasn’t really in the mood to talk. I just wanted to put my fist into something. Preferably someone’s face. Maybe a wall.  
I felt the pit in my stomach deepen the longer the flight took, twisting, making me nauseous. My worried mind fabricating haunting images of my father and what they’d done to him or will do…  
A red light flashed brightly on my screen indicating I was drifting off my course. I took in a shaky breath, the helmets oxygen smelling of new car making my head spin more. I slowed as I saw the Milano drift into view and a call float up into my screen. I answered unspoken.  
Peter’s face filled the screen _“Come aboard. We’ll talk strategy.”_ I floated towards the ship quietly.  
_“If you know what you’re getting into, it will be easier.”_ Gamora appearing over Quill’s shoulder.  
Groot over the other, _“I am Groot.”_  
He always made me smile, though the bottom of my stomach got deeper as I climbed aboard the docking bay. I was relieved when Gamora simply went onto the plan, skipping past the silence on my way over.

* * *

I shuffled awkwardly alongside Quill in the wide pants and tight shirt which I had donned, pulling my backpack closer to my body as I anxiously prepared for what felt like the inevitable fate of us being caught. He lightly flicked my hand with his in attempts to calm my unnerved nerves, I attempted to smile back up at the man but couldn’t seem to move my creased expression. All I could think about was my Dad. What they have done to my Dad. What they’re doing to my Dad. What they could do to my Dad. What they will do to my Dad. What they could do to my Dad if we get caught. What would happen to us if we get caught?  
My mind, and stomach keeps reeling, lurching, spinning and I can’t stand it.  
“It’ll be alright, Kid.” Quill offered, “You’re making me nervous being like this. Overthinkin’ ain’t gonna help your Dad.” My grip simply tightens on the straps. Quill's hand slings around my shoulders, pulling me closer, “You’ve got us helping you, Kid. What could go wrong?”  
_“That is the worst thing to say right now.” _I hear Gamora say over the coms.__  
_“She’s right. You say that every mission, something always goes wrong.” _Rocket adds. I hear Gamora smack Rocket over the head, _“What?! It’s true!” _____  
I push my way out of Quills hold, “Can we just focus please.” I mumble as I pick up my pace.  
_“I am Groot.” _I can’t speak ‘Groot’ but his tone is covered in compassion.__  
All I can think about is my Dad. I find myself mumbling, “What if he’s dead…” without reason.  
  


* * *

_“Watch where you’re walkin’, Buddy!”_ This was the first mistake of the day.  
I could hear someone replying to Rocket quietly in the background of the comms, _“You talkin’ to me, Runt?!”_ Quill and I both stopped.  
“Shit!” Quill cursed  
I could barely hear Gamora’s attempts to subdue the argument below Rocket’s rage. A gunshot sounded. Second mistake.  
_“Screw subtlety! I’m going in guns blazing!”_  
“SHIT!” Quill wailed as he began to run towards our entry point just down the hall  
_“ROCKET NO!”_ Gamora yelled  
_“ROCKET YES!”_  
I began my chase behind Quill as I swung my bag to my front and frantically dug for my helmet. Attempting to reach my Dad before they were alerted we were here. The third and final mistake was we weren’t fast enough.  


* * *

  
I always worried about losing hope in my search for Dad. That I would continue my endless search and find nothing over and over and then stop, losing my Father forever in the ever-expanding universe. Today I got pretty close.  
I stood in front of an empty cell, fighting raging behind me, gunshots scorching the walls, glass smashing, walls crumbling… All dulled out behind me.  
“He’s gone…” spilt out of my mouth.  
“Kid!” I hear Rocket yell, muffed in the back of my head, “Kid! We gotta go!” I felt his small hand wrap around my index finger and middle finger, tugging roughly to prompt me to move. My feet stumbling away from the cell when Quill pushed on my back with one hand, firing his blaster with the other.  
“Snap out of it, Sam, we have to make a quick getaway.” Quill sounded very urgent, but I had nowhere to go a distinctive beeping sound began in what sounded like the distance. I stumble as Groot hoists me off the ground and over his shoulder.  
I squirm in his grip, “Hey, hey, hey! Put me down!” He doesn’t listen as he retreats with Rocket and Quill, “We don’t have my Dad yet! Wait! We need to go back! We need to find him!” I turned to Quill in desperation, I couldn’t read his face, “Please! PLEASE!”  
He simply frowned at me, “I’m sorry kid.”  
I watch as Gamora races to catch up with us alongside Drax, “RUN!” She wails, “BOMB RUN FAST-”  
I just wanted my Dad.  


* * *

  
Peter Quill's voice is very distinctive, especially when he’s the only sound you can hear, “This could have gone better…” Even though it sounded wheezy and strained I knew Quill was nearby.  
“No shit, Quill…” I could hear Rockets small feet wandering around the floor in front of me somewhere.  
Peter coughed out, “Sound off.”  
“To your left,” Gamora groaned.  
“In your face,” laughed Rocket.  
“I am Groot.” Groot strained, sounding like he was trying to pull himself out from under something.  
“I am stuck.” Drax put simply.  
“As is everyone aside from me smart ass.” Stated Rocket, “And soon Groot.” He grunted.  
I couldn’t really place what had just happened, or why I couldn’t seem to speak up. My mind kind of drifted, I stopped listening to their chatter as I felt the urge to fall back asleep.  
“Kid? Kid?!” Quill sounded urgent, his blaring voice piercing my head, sparking a new-found headache.  
I groaned.  
“Kid? Where you at? Are you hurt?” I tried to move and found myself unable to, I moaned again. “Rocket, can you see him?”  
“Nadda.” I heard him kick something, moving further away. Though I didn’t really care about Rocket finding me and the rest of them yelling things and the fact that I couldn’t move.  
I just wanted my Dad...

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, this is more of a pass time/ distraction than something that I'm really good at... So plz be kind, my spelling and grammar are probs gonna suck... I try my best...
> 
> Have a wonderful day surrounded by wonderful people (or friendly animals) xoxo


	3. Panic Setting In

_“Kid? Where you at? Are you hurt?” I tried to move and found myself unable to, I moaned again. “Rocket, can you see him?”_  
_“Nadda.” I heard him kick something, moving further away. Though I didn’t really care about Rocket finding me and the rest of them yelling things and the fact that I couldn’t move._  
_I just wanted my Dad._

* * *

My headache worsened as Quill voice got more desperate, “KID?! Say something kid!”  
I squeezed my eyes shut further before trying desperately to open them to tell him to shut up and let me sleep. I slowly blinked my eyes to be met with a blurry image of grey and orange. “Quill…” I wheezing, “What happened?” I tried to move, but my efforts were in vain as I began to feel my entire body pinned under something.  
“Sam! Sam, thank god.” Quill breathed out.  
Gamora continued, “Are you hurt?” I just moaned in reply as my vision began to clear when Rocket trotted into view stopping ahead of me, fires blazing behind him, rubble splayed everywhere.  
“He looks pretty stuck.” He called over to the others, “You good kid?” He asked as he crouched next to me.  
My voice was thicker than expected, “I can’t feel…” my voice trailing off as I closed my eyes.  
Rockets littles hand clapped my check, “No sleeping kid.” He starts talking to the others again, “Groot, help Drax then you both give me a hand with the kid.”  
“Yes Rocket,” Quill spat, “Gamora and I will be fine by ourselves, thanks,” Quill said sarcastically.  
Rocket rolled his eyes as Gamora was climbing out from under her piece of rubble and over to Quill.  
I reverted my attention back to myself as my body began to regain sensitivity. I was lying on my stomach, my right arm pinned underneath me and my left under the same rubble which pinned my back down. My left leg throbbed painfully, I moaned quietly. Probably broken. I struggled to pull in breaths with the weight of the rubble on top of me and what felt like a few broken ribs beneath me.  
I picked my head up to try and see where Drax and Groot were but dropped it back down on its side when Rocket replied, “There to your right, I wouldn’t try to turn your head too much. You probably have a concussion.” I groaned again and I saw Rockets face crease, “We’ll have you out in a minute kid, they’re coming over now.”  
I swallowed thickly, “I can feel something warm…” I painfully suck in a breath, “Under me…”  
I watch Rockets eyes as he follows the other two as they take place either side of me, “On the count of three well have you right out-”  
He was cut off by the yells of whoever we were shooting at earlier, “Find them! I want them dead!”  
Rocket quickly and quietly counted, “One-two-three.” He put his hand over my mouth as I cried out when they lifted the piece of rubble up. “I know, I know. Just relax, Kid.” He was wildly looking around as he waved frantically for someone to come over. I didn’t catch who it was or witness what happened next because as they grabbed me a significant pain flared in my chest and I blacked out.

* * *

I began to come to, I could feel myself being carried on someone’s back, something tied tightly around my chest and I could feel the lack of my helmet on my head.  
“This could have gone better…” I was going to ban Quill from ever saying that ever again.  
“Sam almost died!” Gamora’s yell causing me to moan. My headache was back.  
“Shit. I don’t want him to wake up if he moves I’ll probably drop him.”  
Gamora sighed, “We can stop for a bit, just to let him settle down. But then we need to keep going.”  
My eyes groggily opened, only to be blinded by the sun and to close again. I whimpered once more. “Hey buddy, I know you’re hurting we’re getting you back to the ship.” My face squeezed tightly in pain.  
Gamora added, “We got split up but we’re all alright.” She paused before adding, “You’re gonna be alright.” She ran her fingers through my hair in attempts to calm me down. I began to squirm in the now stationary, Peter’s arms.  
“Hey, hey, Kid. Calm down. If you don’t stop moving I might drop-” Before he could finish I was on my back wheezing for a breath, blinded by pain. “Shit.” I heard Quill mutter, “Kid, you gotta’ breath. You’ve opened your wound. Crap…” I felt his hands press down on my chest, flaring up more pain. This time I screamed.

* * *

I don’t remember much after Quill touched my chest. But as I came to again I could hear him whispering to me to be quiet, “Shhh. Please be quiet, Sam. Shhh.” I didn’t even realise I was whimpering until I stopped myself, “Good, good…” I felt his hand covering my mouth as he cradled me in front of his body, wedging me between a solid something and his chest. “Just a little longer, but I’m gonna need you to do some work for me, Kid. You with me? Even a little?” I aimlessly nodded my head as I cracked my eyes open, “Good great,” he continued to whisper, “You’re gonna need to run” I shook my head no, “or just quickly walk with me. I know your leg hurts and your probably very confused right now. But you gotta trust me and work with me, Sam.” I reluctantly nodded and he removed his hand from my mouth. “Good. Count of three.”  
I looked around to try to find Gamora, but it was just Quill here and I began to worry. I had no idea what was happening.  
“One.” He quietly started.  
He began to slowly move me so I had my feet on the ground. The pain was already beginning to onset before we even started to move.  
“Two.”  
I looked Quill up and down, wondering why he couldn’t just carry me.  
He’d been shot in the leg. Great.  
“Three.” He tugged at my right arm as we both quietly stumbled towards the other side of what seemed to be an almost empty storage warehouse packed full of empty shelving and the odd support pole which we’d just been hiding behind. Quill kept starting and stopping, I ducked down low when he ducked and stopped when he did, my leg more of a dead weight I was trying to pick up than support as the pain continued to flare in my leg. The adrenaline from Quill, however, sparked my own production and I began to feel more numb as what seemed like an escape continued. I was a fairly dizzy and I had no idea what we were doing, who we were running from and where everyone else was.  
I felt like I was about to throw up when I bumped into Quill’s back and he covered my mouth with his hand, “Shh.” He poked his finger to out left as three of the guys from earlier were coming towards us as we crouched down. We had nowhere to hide beside behind empty shelves. But Peter wasn’t panicking, simply pulling out his gun and slowly moving around the empty shelf to get a better vantage to surprise them from. I felt so exposed, crouching on the floor, covered by a skeletal metal frame.  
The realisation dawned on me that I didn’t have my helmet either. I began to shake furiously. If a fight started I would be defenceless, I was currently, literally, powerless.  
Peter looked at me and smiled, mouthing, ‘I got this’  
Quill pounced, rounding the corner, fired at the men. Before they could react, I heard a dog bark from behind them. I watched it bound towards the men aggressively. Not a space dog, or a mutant dog. A normal looking Earth dog… A golden retriever in a space suit…  
“How hard did I hit my head?” I mumbled cradling my head in my hands as I sink to the floor.  
I looked up in time to see the dog came hurdling over towards me, I raised my arms in defence when someone grabbed me from behind, squeezing my chest painfully, I yelped in discomfort as pain flared in my chest. I felt something cold press against my temple.  
“Drop your gun, Quill! And you stay back, dog! Or the kid will be dog food!” The man sneered at the dog and Quill.  
The dog snarled, still in his low crouch and Peter slowly lowered his gun, “No need for this. He’s just a kid.” Quill spoke in a low tone.  
Whoever grabbed me gripped me tighter, pulling on the bloodied fabric which was bounded around my chest.  
My vision began to blur as he pulled tighter yet again, my legs began to shake feverishly as desperation crept down my spine into my stomach, weighing it down heavily. I squeezed my eyes tightly as I begin to panic when I suddenly feel the Nova Force swell up violently in my chest. I heard a few distinctive voices shout around me and a few gunshots sound in the distance. I snap my eyes open to witness a wave of Nova Force spew out of my chest and remnants of the energy lingering around my body, holding me up as the man was knocked away.  
I felt gentle, strong arms hook under my armpits as the energy fades away, “I am Groot!” I hear clattering metal behind me under Groot’s worried tone. I heavily lean into his woody frame as I become nauseous.  
I bring my hand up to my newly sweaty forehead, “What just happened…?” I moan.  
Gamora comes in front of me holding my helmet, “That’s an explanation for later,” she places the helmet back on my head, “best we let you keep this for now. Using the Nova Force when you’re not wearing the helmet looks like it takes a lot out of you.”  
“We should get out of here.” Rocket intervenes, “before more of these ass-holes come.” He said as he kicked the head of the man who I knocked back.  
I felt Gamora press on my bloodied chest and I shut my eyes tightly, hissing at the pain, “Sam’s bleeding again.”  
Quill said in a strained voice, “We just need to get back to the ship.”  
“I am Groot,” I felt his hands tighten around my arms as he now competently holds me up.  
“Groot’s right, the kids fading fast and Quill isn’t looking hot either. Let’s just get moving.”  
Quill proudly commenting as we set off, “We’re taking the dog with us.” I watched the dog trot next to Drax who helped Quill along, “He likes me.”  
I went to get my Dad. And all I returned with was with a stupid dog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Cosmo the Russian Space Dog - I had to include him


End file.
